Hastings Family Service is Here to Help
HFS is experiencing the highest demand for services in our 55-year history due to increased prices, cuts and delays in SNAP benefits, and federal workers who aren’t being paid due to the longest government shutdown in history.
For every one meal provided by food shelves, SNAP food assistance provides nine meals. SNAP is the first line of defense against hunger for 440,000 Minnesotans. The food shelf network in MN cannot fully meet that increase in demand, but with your help, HFS is working hard to meet the need that is growing every day.
Neighbors helping neighbors will always be our greatest source of help and hope.
HFS RESPONSE TO UNFOLDING FOOD CRISIS
HFS is expanding access and food availability to meet the increased need in our community:
- Evening hours added for drive-up food shelf appointments for those who cannot make it to HFS until after work
- Emergency Bag (E-bag) availability increased; local churches have committed to purchasing items and packing 100 E-bags for HFS each week to have on hand for emergency need when there is a delay in appointment availability
- Re-opened to the public on Mondays starting Nov 10th to add food shelf appointments and move an additional 500-700 lbs per week of food into the community (previously closed for food rescue and mobile distribution efforts)
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED AND DEEPLY APPRECIATED!
- Give a monetary gift
- HFS can leverage your gift through partnerships that allow the food shelf to purchase food at a deep discount
- Host a food drive
- A fun way to support your neighbors within your neighborhood, school, or office! Most needed items include boxed cereal, chunky soup, canned meat, and peanut butter. (Most needed list is updated frequently on our website)
- Collect grocery bags for HFS
- Collect grocery bags and designated E-Bag food items for your Church community if they are participating in the E-Bag effort to supply 100 E-bags/week
- Spread the word
- Pick up the phone, send a text, chat over coffee, or share on social media when you see information that could help others. Whether it’s info about a local food drive or about HFS services, you never know who could benefit from learning about it!
